Black River
by Hikagi
Summary: Sasuke had not been the first Uchiha that Orochimaru had set his sights on. He had merely been the only one to survive... that people knew of. - Abandoned.
1. The Myth

Teaser: Sasuke had not been the first Uchiha that Orochimaru had set his sights on. He had merely been the only one to survive... That people knew of.

Summary: Mitarashi Anko is Orochimaru's most well-known student. With the Snake Sannin's defection and her survival of the curse seal, her other two team-mates (plus the others who had also received the seal) are often overlooked. Added to the fact that one is presumed dead, and the other never made it past the position of an academy teacher, is it any wonder? But her late teammate isn't as dead as everyone thinks. HunterxHunter crossover. Slight AU.

Disclaimer: I (we) don't own Naruto or HunterxHunter. This applies for all future chapters.

And with the exception of possibly four other stories (one in French, one in Filipino, one that wasn't really a crossover, and one that just so happened to have HxH in the summary), I present to you the first (decent?) NRT-HxH fanfic! Er, at least I hope...

* * *

**Black River**

Chapter 00: Prologue

By Hikagi and A Writer Wannabee

* * *

_Life is like a river: it flows steadily from the mountains to the ocean, no matter what obstacles are in the way._

That had been something a very precious someone had said to me back when I was still a little brat running around and causing everyone trouble. I think I was being reprimanded while he spoke to me about what I had (at the time) thought to be philosophical crap. Though I guess, now that I've grown up somewhat, I can see what he was telling me. Or what he had been _trying_ to tell me while I was tied down to a chair and forced to sit through his lectures.

In the end, I think I just brushed him off at the end of the hour. I don't know how he was able to stand me, let alone look at me with fond eyes. Heaven knows how I've been an absolute terror since I learned how to walk. But still, I can't help but think to what he had been saying about his outlook on life and his comparison of it to a river…

_A couple of rocks thrown in will not upset the general stream of time, no matter how big the ripples spread or how high the water splashes._

Of course, the rocks were obstacles, tragedies and whatnot like the Third Shinobi War or the Kyuubi Incident. Or that one time when the Third was assassinated when the Sound and Sand tried to take over the village.

_But after a time, all rocks will settle on the bottom of the river, forming a new layer for the water to run over and eventually smoothen out, and life will continue on as before despite any formations in its way._

Hmm. "Life will continue on…"

The whole analogy reminds me of this one place I used to frequent as a kid. It was a little ways from my old apartment, but not a lot of people were there to disturb me. There weren't any fish in the area due to chemical poisoning, but that didn't matter to me at all. In fact, I think I liked it all the more because the people stayed away for that very reason.

It wasn't like the water was dirty or anything. No, not at all. It was relatively safe – the poison had been a one-time accident and most of its traces were long gone. The area surrounding the river was really peaceful too. And during the dry seasons, if the water was clear enough, you could see all the stones that had made their way into the river, even during the night.

Sometimes I'd play a game with myself, seeing if I could use these stones to hop across without getting wet above my knees. It was even more challenging during the night when the forest seemed to grow and cut off all sources of light. But when the water turned black once a year on the darkest new moon, I made sure not to go there because it was hard to see what lay beneath its surface, what lurked in the mysterious depths.

They say that trouble brews near the riverbeds on these nights and tell horrifying stories to scare some of the children from misbehaving. However, all rumors are based on some truth, and the tale of the Black River is the same. Our teachers had warned us to never go anywhere at night, but I have never been one to listen.

The rumors first started when a woman came to our village, seeking refuge from a group of human hunters who were after her blood. It was a new moon and the guards on patrol duty were especially alert and tense due to low visibility, but they could still clearly recall her physical appearances. She was turned away due to political reasons that prevented the higher-ups from granting her asylum. No one knew what happened to her after that.

Many, _many_ years later, they found her body floating in a river nearby the village. Her hair had grown so dark that the team patrolling had trouble distinguishing where it began and ended. The officials said that she had drowned in a suicide attempt, but my sensei told me the autopsy reports stated that she had been poisoned and her body had been marked with signs of struggle.

No one dares to question out loud how she had managed to survive all the years beforehand. But the strange thing is that she was found on the exact new moon (according to the lunar calendar) as she was last seen alive. Her hair had also managed to turn darker, almost as if the moon's influence had made her undergo a metamorphic change.

What's even stranger is that there had been accounts of a lady dressed in white who wanders around when there is barely enough light from the moon to see properly. But every time someone tries to confirm these reports, she disappears until the investigation is over. However, according to sources, she appears next to Black River without fail, and only umm, _innocent_ individuals can see her.

They named that river _Kurogawa_ after that rumor. It is a superstitious place that only the very daring or the foolish bother to visit. To this very day, it is still called such and is spoken about just as much as the Kyuubi incident, which is to say, very little. I wasn't alive when it all happened, but I recall growing up hearing whispered comments about the whole ordeal. I have no idea if any of it is true, or which parts had been fabricated, though. Rumors tend to get all the facts mixed up, as I have personally experienced.

Anyway, some time after I had been promoted to the rank of genin, I went there one day on the new moon to see if I could catch a fleeting glimpse of the woman they spoke about. After many hours of waiting and very nearly falling asleep, my efforts paid off.

She appeared like an apparition before the riverbed, dressed in a pristine white robe. Her long black hair flowed out like the waters behind her as she slowly made her way towards me. At this point, I was too shocked and blank to process what was going on.

Eventually, she managed to reach where I was rooted to the ground and placed a hand on my head. She bent over to kiss my forehead and I could feel something wash over me like a cool shiver of wind. Then, leaning so that her lips brushed against my ear, she whispered something that I could barely distinguish. Her words sounded like the raindrops falling from the skies. She then smiled at me and placed a hand on my cheek, caressing it like a mother would do to her child.

I know what it is you seek for. You will find the answers to your questions soon. Do not trouble to come look for me in curiosity, as the only one who can relieve me of my suffering no longer remembers who he is.

I don't remember ever closing my eyes, but when I opened them, she was gone and the sun was rising. Somehow, I had fallen asleep with the ghost-lady in front of me, holding me gently like the mother I never had. And now I was late for training, but I couldn't find it in me to care very much.

Looking back, I should have at least asked her why she seemed so sad, or at least to know what her name was. But I have never been known for thinking ahead, and soon the memory of visiting the Black River lady was driven far from my mind. By current events or supernatural forces, I wouldn't know. It would be a while before I would be able to recall this incident, and that in itself leads to a whole different story.

_--Taken from the memoirs of Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime of Konohagakure no Sato_

* * *

Authors' Notes:

Yes, _another_ crossover fic. And this time it's a collab between A Writer Wannabee and I.

At first, we wanted to complete the fic before we began posting, but our hectic schedules and stuff led us to change our decision. So now Black River is being posted, and while it is no where near being complete, the basic outline and plot elements are already configured and waiting to be stretched out. And the other series didn't come into play yet, but as the story progresses, you'll see where we are going with this. HxH doesn't come in until waaaaaaaaay later. Just a warning.

And that little review button at the bottom of the page? That helps us when we're stuck at with writers' block. Plus it's really encouraging when we get to hear from the readers about what worked and _why_.

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_A Writer Wannabee_

_September 16, 2006_


	2. On the Run

I don't think I've ever been so wired before in my life. Even when I was stealing food from the marketplaces out of necessity in my youth (and I swear, I'm been completely over all of that ever since I got my License, so don't even _think_ about bringing something like that up), I have never before felt so desperate to escape.

If there is a God, please tell him to hurry up and provide me a miracle, because I could sure use one right now.

I don't know how it had happened in the first place. One minute, I was enjoying a nice breeze out in the open, and the next, I was running for my life with these intimidating figures after my head. I didn't think that I'd pissed off the community _that_ much when I had first moved in. Didn't President Netero tell me that I'd be on a special reconnaissance mission? How did I get into this situation anyway? And who the hell ratted me out in the first place?

It's raining now and my joints are stiff. If I ever get out of this mess, I'll offer prayers everyday for the rest of my life. God, I feel old for thinking something like that. It doesn't help that every part of my body feels like it has aged a hundred times faster than normal either.

I just wanna lie down and take a really _long_ nap without having to worry about those people behind my back. Taking a break sounds really good right about now.

The sad thing is that now I look like a poor sappy adolescent teenager writing my thoughts in some crappy journal. Well, I guess that last part applies as I am holding a cruddy piece of paper against my leg in the middle of a storm. But that's not the point!

The point is that I'm miserable, I'm wet, and I'm tired beyond belief. And I'm taking it out by whining on a stupid sheet of processed tree bark. God so help me _die_ if anyone else ever reads this…

I need to find a decent place to sleep and a hot shower, dammit.

_-- Taken from the diaries of Lucy K._

* * *

**Black River**

Chapter 02: "On the Run"

By Hikagi and A Writer Wannabee

* * *

Special Agent 112118(etc. – her designation code went on forever to the point where she didn't bother with it anymore simply because it was a hassle), codename "Ghost" (attributed to her abilities and skills as a professional one-man reconnaissance team), A.K.A. The Lady With No Name ("Cuz my real name's classified information," she would joke back at Headquarters when one of the newer guys tried to ask.)… (1)

…Had no idea where she was now. There were trees everywhere and the branches were hindering her from being able to see where she was going. The foliage prevented her from being able to tell where the moon was (Was there even a moon at this point?), and in the darkness she had lost track of all sense of time. She would have stopped to find her bearings a long time ago, but the ones on her trail had somehow managed to gain on her during the course of the afternoon.

She was not lost. Not lost at all. Nope. No way in a million years.

She looked around, taking in how unfamiliar everything looked and gulped.

Okay, so maybe she was off course just a _little_ bit.

A small rustle in a nearby bush startled her and she quickly veered to the left in order to avoid what-ever-it-was that was in it. More than just a little unnerved, she decided to head in the direction that seemed safest, as that was away from any source of noise. After a little while, a small clearing appeared before her, and she checked the area for any traps before venturing forth. Her attention was caught by a small overturned stone with a single symbol on it, and she tried not to scream in frustration.

Ghost had already been here, if her marker was any indication. And there must have been a type of Nen placed over the area (which was quite a feat – she should look into that later…when she wasn't running to save her life) to confuse enemies, because this had been the third time she had walked through this particular clearing.

'_Wait a second,'_ her mind told her. _'Someone else has been here too.'_

Footprints were embedded in a particular soft spot in the earth she had discovered the first time around. It looked as if the owner of this set of tracks hadn't noticed, but that was probably due to haste and lack of discretion. She calculated how old the prints were and estimated how far the pursuers might be behind.

Maybe it was a slightly good thing that she had come here again. They were catching up to her and she wouldn't have ever known by how much if not for this.

Taking one last look around, Ghost bounded off in a direction she hadn't tried before, hoping that it wouldn't lead her around in a circle like last time. At least she knew that it wasn't the people following her that put the confusing spell up. She doubted that they would still be so far away if that were the case.

'_Although,'_ she thought, _'that still didn't explain who's responsible for getting me lost.'_

Stupid wide-ranged Nen.

* * *

Uchiha Kurogami sat down next to the rice-paper door of his family's household and bent over to put on his sandals, laying his equipment off to the side in favor of being able to do the task without the hindrance. (2)

"You're going out?"

He didn't turn around when the soft voice of his sister echoed in the narrow hallway, but he acknowledged her all the same. "Something like that."

"Where to?"

There – one side done. "Ichiraku's." He picked up his other sandal and started putting it on as well. "The weather's been bugging the hell out of me, and I need to eat lunch before my next patrol shift." He finished his task and reached over to grab his vest from a nearby coat-rack where it had been left to dry a few hours ago and shook it free from the last few stubborn drops of water. "Damn rain makes me fucking uncomfortable."

"Language, Onii-chan!" the younger girl scolded, changing the tone in her voice so that it leaned towards a hint of disapproval. Yikes, Mikoto was starting to sound like all the other aunts that nagged at their kids.

Kurogami gave her a questioning look as if to say, "Are you my mother?" Instead, he brushed the topic aside and retrieved his equipment, checking his mental list one last time before setting out.

"Was there something you wanted, or were you just going to watch me leave?"

Suddenly, all traces of courage fled from the girl's figure as she nervously fingered something small and white.

"Um... never mind."

He sighed and held out a hand. "What is it _this_ time?"

"C-could you drop by the market and buy this for me?" Mikoto thrust a piece of paper in his face, completely bypassing his hand. "Mother wouldn't let me leave the Estate until I finished all of my chores, but that would take forever! And you know most of these stores close before dinner-time."

Unsurprised, Kurogami leaned backwards so that the offending object wouldn't touch his skin. "Yeah, yeah. Got it," he muttered before scanning the list. He did a double-take. "You're making _chocolate_?"

"Well…"

He paused, looking her over a few times, wondering when his sister had grown so much. Mikoto tensed, waiting for some kind of verbal teasing when he spoke up.

"_So_." Kurogami waved the list around, gesturing at some elusive object. "Who's the lucky guy?"

His sister blushed a bright shade of pink. "N-none of your business! And I never said what it was for!"

Kurogami grinned this time. "Ah, my imouto-chan _does_ have a boyfriend! You'd better bring him to the house soon, 'cause father and I would _love_ to interrogate him."

"_Okaa_-san! Onii-chan's being mean again!" Mikoto screamed, trying to win the support of the other female in the house.

"_Listen to your brother, dear,"_ was the reply that filtered through the walls.

The young girl nearly screamed again, frustration evident in her posture. Kurogami took this as a sign to make his escape and dashed straight out the door, narrowly dodging a couple shuriken along the way.

* * *

Ghost paused under the cover of a large tree, taking the time to assess her current situation.

Not good. _They_ were getting even closer.

She felt the sense of urgency pushing her to run faster, harder, longer. But her legs felt tired now from her flight and the constant movement. So _very_ tired… She felt like she could sleep for a million years from fatigue.

How many days had it been since they had started pursuing her… Ten? Eleven? It didn't matter now. She was so far away from civilization that nothing looked familiar anymore. Her days were now filled with scraps and bruises obtained from her falls and stumbles alongside with the cuts she received from stinging branches and rough bark.

The large welt on her left thigh had been from a wound six days ago when she had fallen from a small cliff in hopes of throwing off the hunters. The large, thick scab on her right arm was the result of engaging the enemy before she could set the necessary traps to escape them when they had found out where she had set camp four days ago. All in all, she was _not_ in the best of conditions, relative or otherwise.

Shaking these thoughts out of her mind, she pressed onward, hoping that her natural speed would soon pay off…

* * *

White… Pink… Yellow… Red… And, green…?

Who the hell would eat green chocolate?

Kurogami tried not to wince when he saw the myriad of different colors some of the chocolate melts and syrups came in, but couldn't suppress the shudder when he saw a tube that advertised a special brand of tie-dye.

Really, what _sane_ person would want to eat anything that was a combination of fuchsia and purple?

Looking back down on the list, he snorted.

Okay, so maybe his sister wasn't as sane as he had first thought…?

Grudgingly, he reached out to snatch an offensively bright package of chocolate bags that came in a set of hues he never thought possible.

Well, at least she didn't want the tie-dye…

He shuddered again.

* * *

It was starting to rain again, and while this helped her put more distance between herself and her pursuers, it also made hunting animals that much harder.

Her stomach grumbled, but Ghost knew there was nothing she could do to appease it. There were berries and other forms of vegetation around, but she didn't know what kind of natural poisons were laced in them, and whether she had any immunity against them.

She didn't want to take the risk of facing the unknown, but being in a foreign environment without any means of contacting the others grated on her nerves on top of being constantly in (relatively mild, she mused) pain.

But she knew that eventually, at the rate she was going, her body was going to give up. Nerves steeled, she slowly forced herself out of her hiding place and in the general direction of where she could feel the Nen originating from.

She had to reach a safe place.

Soon.

* * *

Kurogami fiddled with a few of his shuriken as he paced on top of Konoha's outer walls, securing his footing with a steady stream of chakra to his feet. It wouldn't do to slip and fall from the lack of traction that was brought on by the constant drizzle, after all. But aside from a few near slips, nothing much was going on.

In short, patrol duty was boring. _Always_, unless it was during a time of war.

That was like saying that D-rank missions sucked like hell, the Hyuuga clan had sticks up their asses, or the Sandaime was the current Hokage.

Basically, it was like an unspoken, generally accepted rule that no one questioned.

But Kurogami was a chuunin, and as such, was expected to complete his share of missions in order to bring in revenue to Konoha's economy. But being an Uchiha made things a lot more complicated than just fulfilling his duties, because that meant that he had to do everything _perfectly_.

Argh! Sometimes being a member of Konoha's Police Force really stank!

* * *

Ghost took a quick look around and saw that no one was in the vicinity. Silently, she took a calming breath and relaxed into a state of meditation, hiding her aura with Zetsu and stilling her mind so that she was more in tune with her surroundings.

A rabbit passed by in front of her.

Lucky!

She fingered the weapon she had found earlier in the day and quickly threw it. The knife hit its mark (a little too high and a few too many degrees left of where she had intended), puncturing the animal in the neck before it flopped down and hit the earth.

Ghost eyed the foreign object carefully, noting how it was designed. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it got the job done and was convenient enough to carry around. She had met a few Hunters (most were ninja who had participated in the Exams) that carried weapons such as this one, but the throwing stars they had used were slightly bigger and heavier than the one currently in her possession.

Flicking away the small flecks of blood on the metal, she pocketed the weapon and set about preparing her meal, her mood lightened by the recent change in events.

There was a chance that by continuing on this path, she would chance across someone whom she had met before.

* * *

"I'm back," Kurogami greeted when he opened the door to his home.

Mikoto immediately ran out from the kitchen. "Onii-chan! Welcome home!" She gave him a quick hug before helping him out of his soaked vest and sandals.

"What are we having for dinner?" he asked, when he smelled something delicious waft through the hallway.

"That's – a – secret!" Mikoto joked, shaking a finger back and forth. "Mom put me in charge of the main dish tonight, so you have to tell me how it tastes!"

"We'd better give the hospital an early warning to make room for a few patients, then."

Mikoto pouted, hands on her hips. "Not funny!"

"I was just teasing."

"Did you get my stuff?"

"Yeah. Here." He pushed a market bag into her waiting arms as he strode into the kitchen. "I have to eat dinner really quick and report for the night shift. One of the scheduled chuunin fell ill, so I have to work again tonight."

* * *

There was a wall in front of her, she vaguely acknowledged. A fairly _large_ wall.

Ghost stared at it for another few minutes.

It was huge and well built, which made her more frustrated than anything else. How was she supposed to climb over something like that? The architects of the village must have taken abnormal superhuman physical conditions into account in order to plan for something as preposterous as a ri-_friggin_-diculously enormous _barrier_ such as the one standing before her.

'_It's mocking me,'_ she decided after trying to glare it into submission for the umpteenth time to no avail. She had reached this wall-gate-_thing_ approximately five minutes ago after getting wind of the fact that her pursuers were even closer than she thought they were. There was no way on earth that she would risk taking the time to travel around it. Depending on the size of this village; that could take _hours_. _Over_ it was impossible. _Through_ it was plain stupid. Who knew what sort of people lived behind the fortified gates?

Ghost was so deep in thought that it took her a few seconds to realize that someone was calling for her attention.

"Hey, you there," came a voice from on top of the wall. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"I need help," she answered back after weighing her options carefully. "I'm looking for shelter from a group of mercenaries unjustly after my head."

The patrolman (she could tell from his voice and posture) on the wall seemed to take in this information slowly, as if mulling over a wine taste. She could just picture the skeptical raised eyebrow and the slight frown on his face.

"What village do you hail from?" he asked finally.

"Um…never lived in a village. I just came from Yorkshin City."

"That name does not sound familiar. Are you a civilian?"

Civilian? In what sense?

If it meant that she wasn't a military figure or held a position that was associated with an organization of that caliber, then the answer was a big, flat-out 'no.'

On the other hand, if he were only referring to that of which was custom around these areas, then there was a slight chance that she would be considered non-military. Hunters, after all, could be seen as either one depending on what profession they decided to go into.

Ghost was about to answer with a 'yes' when a rustling sound reached her ears. Stifling a curse under her breath, she started running in the first direction that came to her mind, now ignoring the man on top of the wall. A sharp knife sailed past her and embedded itself into the bamboo gate, missing her by just a few inches. She vaguely registered a startled yell from the guard gate, but at this point everything was blurred in her mind. The only thing she could think of was to run away.

_Quick, quick, run, run, hide, jump, leap, sprint, dash, soar, faster, hurry, faster, FASTER!_

But the person pursuing her was just one unlucky step ahead. More knives were thrown at her, intended for vital organs that she somehow just barely managed to evade in the nick of time. All her quick maneuvers, however, made her lose sense of her location so that she didn't see the ditch next to her until it was too late.

Another projectile aimed at her left made her veer in the opposite direction and straight into uneven ground where she lost her footing and balance, resulting in a twisted ankle and a _lot_ of pain.

She was going to be butchered to death because she _tripped_ over a stupid _hole!_ Just _wait_ until Netero heard about this!

And then, everything went in slow motion as she saw the man guarding the gate leap from that impossible height and land in between her and her assassin-to-be. Quick as lightening, he pulled out two short blades that had been strapped to his back and proceeded to drive the attacker away. When the assassin proved to be stubborn, the gate guard killed him with a swift, clean jab to the heart. The body fell with a soft thud to the ground and the guard turned away to wipe off his blades. Then he made his way where she had fallen (and still had yet to get up due to surprise) to see what had become of her.

"What is your name?" he asked as he extended a hand to help her up.

"Lucy," she answered shakily. To hell with secrecy, using her codename would probably put her in a less favorable position, especially if people have heard of her before. At least her real name had no profile – or at least, anything really worth mentioning (or on any official records, she added with an afterthought).

'_What the hell was that!? I have never seen someone jump that high in my entire career as a Hunter! Oh Kami-sama, I hope that I'm not getting into more trouble by coming here in the first place…' _

"I am Uchiha Kurogami. You will now be escorted to the Hokage's tower for interrogation," he said a little abruptly, still scanning the area for possibly more assassins. After seeing the terrified look across Lucy's face, his voice softened somewhat. "Relax, it's no big deal. If all goes well, you'll be sent to the hospital for a checkup and given a place to stay for the night."

She breathed a sigh in relief as Kurogami helped keep the pressure off of her bad ankle by offering an arm in support. He took a few minutes for her to adjust her weight so that they could both travel easier.

"There's more than just this one," Lucy said after a period of silence as they both gazed back to the dead body.

"Then we will just run away before they get here," he replied without a pause. Lucy marveled at how calm the man next to her remained despite the tedious situation they were in.

"I'm afraid that option is no longer available to you," a voice answered not too far away. The owner of the voice stepped out of the row of trees, revealing a masked face, long hair tied in a ponytail and an unusual weapon behind her.

"Our orders are to restrain that woman and bring her back to our client, dead or alive. Though, with all the trouble she's been giving us, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if she came back a little _damaged_," another said, also emerging from the forest behind the masked woman. A few more shadowy figures made themselves known by rustling the bushes or stepping on twigs that they would have otherwise avoided. "Should anyone get in our way, they must die." With that, they charged and leapt at Lucy and Kurogami, weapons bared.

* * *

Kurogami wasted no time in transporting the two of them out of the immediate range of fire with a kawarimi no jutsu. He then created a few bushin to distract the enemy while conjuring up a mizu-bushin (thank the _gods_ there was still a lot of water around this time of the year – making water clones would have been that much harder otherwise) to help protect his new charge.

"Stay here," he whispered into her ears. After making sure that she understood, he laid the strongest genjutsu he could cast given the short amount of time he had at his disposal.

The Uchiha then jumped back into the fray, disabling all of the remaining targets with precision and accuracy, careful to be sure that at least two or more of them were uninjured enough to be detained for questioning later. He noticed that all of his regular bushin had been exterminated by this point, but that hardly mattered anymore since there wasn't a reason to have them around.

He turned around to give the all-clear signal to Lucy, but something in the back of his mind was screaming at him. There was something very _wrong_ about how she was just sitting on that tree branch, and the signals his brain was sending him were now blaring at full blast, almost like the red-alert sirens during a natural disaster.

Kurogami quickly called forth the Sharingan and cursed when he realized that he wasn't the only individual capable of casting some sort of illusion on others. Not to mention that his earlier genjutsu had been broken by now. There was another person sneaking up behind the unsuspecting girl, and he was close enough to strike and leave a fatal blow.

"Behind you!" Kurogami called out, a second too late as his brain registered what he was seeing through his Bloodline Limit.

Lucy responded to the voice and quickly turned to see another assassin leap out at her. She blocked to the best of her ability, but knew that without a weapon, she was powerless against this enemy. Something sharp pierced her skin as the assassin made contact with her, and Lucy instantly felt pain somewhere around the middle of her stomach. A split second later, the man fell to the ground like the rest of his companions, silent and unmoving as a knife embedded itself into his skull.

The attack had made Lucy lose her grip on the branch she had been sitting on and her sense of balance was quickly failing her. Kurogami moved to catch her before her head collided with the ground, throwing his weapons to the side in order to reach her faster. She landed in his arms safely, but that was not what was concerning him at this point in time.

"Gotcha," he said in the most soothing voice he could muster. "Where does it hurt?" The blood was making it very obvious where she had been cut, but the chuunin wanted to be sure that she wasn't about to pass out any time soon. The amount of pain she must be feeling was probably enough to overwhelm her in any given moment.

"Everywhere," Lucy clattered through her teeth, trying her best not to shiver. But the wind was picking up and her body temperature was dropping at an alarming rate. "It's cold."

"Don't panic, I'll get you to the medics as soon as possible," Kurogami said as he picked her up and started sprinting back towards the gates. "Just hang on!"

It wasn't any good, she realized as her vision started blurring from blood loss. There wasn't enough time, and her wound was just too deep. She was going into shock and her hands were already starting to shake. She closed her eyes as one last bitter thought came to mind.

After trying to live a somewhat normal life in the middle of one of the most prominent cities on the continent, Lucy Kuroro was going to die alone in a remote part of the world literally minutes away from the most civilization she had encountered during the last ten or eleven days.

And despite how gently Uchiha Kurogami was trying to move while carrying her, the jostling was causing her more grief than her ankle and stomach combined. However, soon the pain started to fade away as she started to slip into a dangerous state of unconsciousness.

Dammit. Sometimes life just plain _sucked._

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

1. Lucy Kuroro (aka Ghost): Original character. More stats will be revealed later.

2. Uchiha Kurogami: Original character. Older brother of Uchiha Mikoto (Sasuke and Itachi's mom).

Ika-chan's (Yatsuka Hikagi) Notes:

Original characters only serve to help the story and set up backgrounds for future events. And in case you didn't get the hints, this chapter takes place before any members of the current cast (i.e., Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, etc.) were born. And if any of the Japanese words were unfamiliar, I'd be more than happy to explain in the forums.

Bee-chan's (A Writer Wannabee) Notes:

I'd like to thank all those who have read our first chapter – especially to those who took time to review. It has been sometime since this was updated, but I'm sure the wait is worth it. Why? Because Ika-chan worked hard on this chappie! So enjoy reading and don't forget to share what you think.

Oh I'll be posting my review responses on the BR forums now that the chapter is posted, so if you're curious enough, go ahead and check them out.

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_A Writer Wannabee_

_March 05, 2007_


	3. Breaking Away

It is, by nature's laws, fit that only the strongest shall survive in the outcome of a death match. When a bear is cornered by a pack of wolves, it results in a marvelous struggle with only one party as the winner. Will the bear strike and take down an opponent first, or will the wolves draw first blood? Either way, such fierce fighting can be seen anywhere in the course of nature.

Humans are no exception. When one village fights to overcome another, the air is filled with the stench of death and dismay. Shinobi are pitted against each other in order to determine just which group of ninja can claim the title to being the strongest clan in the country.

However, they are not immune to disease, to injury, to old age… And such is their shortcomings as creatures of this earth. Even the most invulnerable of individuals will die some day, either during a mission or in their sleep. After all, no one is immortal, at least not to my knowledge.

The only beings that are not subject to the weakness of being human are the demons. Scores of years can pass before their hairs turn white or their fangs grow dull. But they too are not immune to death. At least, not the lower-leveled ones.

The _bijuu_ are different. They have earned names and titles for their notoriety and fearsome power. As far as records state, the oldest is said to be over ten centuries in age, and the strongest of them all. I want to see what makes this beast so powerful, and why they are at a level that no _shinobi_ can ever hope to accomplish.

It is my goal to gain all the knowledge in the world by learning the secret arts of others. It is my desire to be able to perform every jutsu in the history of mankind, even if that means that I have to travel to the ends of the earth to fulfill it. It is my wish to be the first human being who has the ability to live forever, to surpass the ranks of the demons and the gods. It is my dream to be able to obtain that power.

And I will make it all happen.

_-- Taken from former Leaf Sannin, Orochimaru's observational logs_

* * *

**Black River**

Chapter 03: "Breaking Away"

By Hikagi and A Writer Wannabee

* * *

"_Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"_ the shinobi breathed as he formed the necessary seals before targeting his opponent. He let the massive fireball stream from his mouth towards the enemy who was trying to remain hidden in the trees nearby.

He scoffed in contempt at his opponent's obvious lack of skills. There was a reason why he was a jounin of the Leaf, and it didn't matter who his opponent was. He had one of the best track records for accomplishing missi-

"Too late," a voice came from behind just as soon as the fire engulfed what he had thought to be his target. A scream rang through the forest as the last remaining Leaf shinobi fell to the ground, decapitated.

* * *

Orochimaru felt a small smile creep up into his body as he watched the man fall down, now dead. He released the _genjutsu_ he had cast over the bushes with a wave of his hand, and instantly the figure writhing in the fire disappeared .

The distinctive tangy smell of iron was so heavy in the air that it wouldn't have even taken the enhanced oratory senses of the Inuzuka or Hatake clans to sniff it out. He kicked the dead body out of amusement before turning his back and exiting the clearing, letting some of the more predatory beasts circle in due to the strong and alluring stench of blood.

It didn't matter if he cleaned the crime scene or not. The Third would have known by now what had transpired, regardless of how well the Sannin tried to cover his tracks.

He had, after all, disposed of an entire squad of chuunin the other day without a second glance.

But still, he reasoned to himself, there was something to be gained through all of this. His eyes glowered and shone eerily through the foliage while his unnaturally long tongue tasted the cool air.

There was just one more thing he had to do…

* * *

_Whoosh_. The leaves stirred suddenly as a swift being darted through the bushes, leaving a trail of wind behind him.

The figure being followed didn't seem to have noticed that someone was tailing him and merely continued in the same direction, taking the time to look at his surroundings before walking a few more steps.

The shadow flitted up to the trees to get a better look at his target, being careful as to not disturb the more fragile twigs and dry leaves around him. Like a predator watching his prey, the hidden figure watched as the older boy kept looking around, trying to find where his friend had gone.

But it wouldn't do the poor thing any good. After all, _he_ was Uchiha Itachi. He was _the_ most powerful child to have ever been born into the clan. He was the next heir to the Uchiha name. He was…

A sudden rush of wind caught the young boy by surprise as he was hauled off his feet upside down and into the waiting arms of his companion, Kisho, who had somehow managed to sneak up on Itachi from behind while directing the young Uchiha's attention to his clone in the clearing.

He was caught.

"_Let go!"_ Itachi growled, trying to break free from his cousin's grasps. "Lemme go!"

"Not until you manage to get me," Kisho said with a slight smile in his features. "I'll give you another ten minutes to find a way to surprise me."

Another ten minutes, eh? That, he could do.

Itachi continued struggling while discreetly slipping something out of his sleeves, careful to make sure that he didn't give anything away until the veeeeeery last second. Then, when Kisho's attention focused elsewhere, he quickly took the shuriken out of his hand and slammed it down on his elder's shoulder…

_'Gotcha…'_

_Poof!_

…Only to have the figure in front of him burst into a cloud of smoke, leaving a log with the sharp weapon embedded deep within the bark.

_'Blast. Kawarimi no Jutsu… He's already mastered it by now…'_

And now, he had no idea where Kisho had gone. The older boy had hidden himself so well that Itachi couldn't figure out in which direction to start. He could only hope that his instincts were up to the challenge.

Itachi closed his eyes and sought for even the smallest indication that would lead to Kisho's hiding place. Gradually, his breathing slowed and the rhythmic pacing of his heart quieted so that not even the pounding in his ears prevented him from hearing the whispers in the forest.

_There._

Itachi's eyes shot out as he felt something stir a little to his left. Quickly making a seal, he tried to camouflage himself with a genjutsu before taking off into the bushes in search for his objective.

Racing across the ground in a matter of seconds, he pulled out a kunai and kept it in front of his face, wary for what ever traps might be in store once he reached his destination.

There was a shrill sound of something cutting through the air and Itachi jumped out of the way before the projectile could hit him. Then calculating where it had come from, he took to the trees and attempted to find the owner of the shuriken.

The figure before him realized that he was found out and quickly took off, running at a pace that Itachi could barely keep up with, making the younger of the two push himself even harder than before.

They somehow managed to get back to the clearing, both panting a little louder than normal. Itachi hid a smirk when he realized just where Kisho was standing and drew out two more kunai from his pockets. Kisho eyed the weapons warily with the expression of one who didn't know what to expect from the situation.

Without warning, Itachi threw all three of his weapons into the air, making the older boy jump out of the way in response.

The first one had been aimed at his face. The second and third ones had been aimed off to the side at the legs had Kisho decided to jump out of the way. Kunai number one hit a nearby tree, kunai number two ended up hitting the ground, and kunai number three just barely grazed his target's pants near the calves.

While Itachi was cursing his luck, he felt something cold and sharp on his neck and he instantly froze. Kisho was no longer standing in front of him near the area where the kunai had fallen. Instead, only two were still at their respective places, and the third one was being pressed against him, held by the person he had just missed.

"Damnit!" Itachi spat.

"Nice try, kid," Kisho said into the younger boy's ear. "But you lose this round, and I still have yet to take you home." Belatedly, he added, "And make sure your mother doesn't hear that kind of language coming out of your mouth."

"I'm notta kid," he attempted to argue feebly while trying to scowl to indicate his displeasure. It only ended up making him look like he was pouting instead, which earned a chuckle from the other boy.

* * *

"Ne, Onii-chan," Itachi asked in a deceptively calm and casual voice while the two made their way up the private lane that lead to their housing complex. He tried not to let any trace of hopefulness creep into his words because that wasn't becoming of a shinobi. "Do'ya think we c'n train tom'rrow too?"

"I don't know," Kisho replied, ruffling the small boy's hair affectionately. "I might have to go on a mission tomorrow. Besides, don't you have better things to do than to hang out with this old fella?"

"But I'm all grown up now," Itachi stated. Inwardly, he was pleased that Kisho had responded to the "Onii-chan" bit – it was the first time Itachi had used it to address him, and he was relieved that it didn't make him feel awkward in the process. "I can go wherever I wanna."

Kisho pretended to think long and hard about something, placing a hand on his chin for effect.

"Ne, Itachi. How old are you?"

"Fi-six," he stuttered, showing the corresponding number of fingers to his elder. Kisho stopped walking and bent down in a squat so that they were now eye-to-eye. They were right inside of the main gates anyway, so it couldn't hurt to stall just a little longer.

"I don't know if you need anymore training from me. It looks like you're already really good at being a shinobi, and you haven't even entered the academy yet."

"But I wanna be like Kisho 'Nii-chan. I wanna master the Sharingan like you."

Kisho shook his head. "I haven't mastered it yet, kid."

"But you got it to work already," Itachi countered, "and I haven't even done that much. Besides, I'm not a kid anymore."

"Hey, that was just last year. And I'm _way_ older than you are. There's no need for you to rush into it just yet," Kisho said, ruffling Itachi's hair again. "And don't worry. I don't think you are. Just a little kid, I mean." They exchanged a brief smile until the sound of someone clearing their throat reached their ears.

"Uchiha Kisho," the man in front of the closest building said. Immediately, the two young boys stopped conversing with each other and came to attention in front of their elder. "The Family Head would like to have a word with you."

"Yes, my lord," Kisho replied, bowing as he did so. Itachi followed suit, not understanding why his cousin had been called when he himself had not. Did his own father not think highly of him? Was there that much of a gap between them? Weren't they only four years apart? (Sometimes it seemed like four was a big number – especially when Kisho-Nii was more than half his age! – and at other times, it didn't.) That wasn't _that_ much of a big difference…

Itachi didn't say anything as the elder led his older cousin away, even when the pit in his stomach intensified with worry.

Little did he know that that would be the last time he would ever get to see his favorite cousin until that title was given to someone else.

* * *

The meeting with the Family Head had been abrupt and shocking, bearing nothing but bad news. It had felt like a slap in the face or gut, leaving him dazed until he had somehow managed to reach his room, where he had started hyperventilating.

He was now huddled in a corner, trying to sink into the floor. Maybe if he held his breath long enough, he would become invisible…

"_Your jounin instructor has defected."_

"_The other day, ANBU forces found the dead bodies of shinobi that had gone missing, all killed in the same manner and dissected."_

"_He's never coming back. Even if he did, he would always be considered a traitor."_

"_He is now considered one of the most dangerous missing-nin in recent history."_

"_Rumor has it that he decided to join the Akatsuki."_

"_It is imperative that you get another teacher as soon as possible."_

But where? No one else had been willing to take him, not with all the political problems his heritage brought about.

And now that the news of Orochimaru-sama betraying the Leaf had reached the rest of the clan's ears, more gossip started between the women, hurting Kisho more than he ever thought it would. They had taken care to never say these things to him directly, but Kisho was better at hiding his presence than they had thought and had ended up hearing a good deal of what was being said behind his back.

It was how he had graduated a year early from the academy without bringing _too_ much attention (but never enough – never, never, _never_ – according to Uchiha standards, he muttered bitterly) upon himself. After all, what kind of a shinobi were you if you stood out like a sore thumb?

"_Filthy half-blood. He should never have been born."_

"_Worthless bitch of a mother. We never should have let those two get married."_

"_A shame that such a talented individual wasted his blood by becoming attached to an outsider."_

"_Low life. Scum."_

"_Good-for-nothing freeloader."_

"_Brat."_

'_That's not true!'_ Kisho thought, trying to prove them all wrong. "None of it's true! Sensei is going to come back!"

And his mother, his poor mother was suffering from all of this as well. They blamed her for the death of one of their finest warriors even though he had technically been killed in the middle of a mission. Anything bad that happened would be her fault as well, such as broken jars, or dying crops in the gardens. The women at the watering wells would give her a hard time, or make her wait unreasonably long for her turn to wash her laundry. They would snub her in passing on the Uchiha grounds and sometimes set prank traps to make her life harder than it already was.

'_It's not true. He __will__ come back…'_

Despite all of this, Kisho had never seen her lose hope. Even through the death of her husband and the constant jeering from others, (and now the bad reputation cast upon her only child by his teacher's betrayal,) she remained strong, never letting the circumstances bring her down. Years ago, she had explained that to one who had lived a harsh life from the very beginning, they were but mere obstacles on the road of life.

In a way, he wished that he could borrow some of her strength because he couldn't figure out what to do or where to go or what his life was going to be like from now on.

'_He's never coming back.'_

* * *

It was now dark, and Kisho was still sitting in the same place he had stationed himself hours before. All the lights in the rest of the building had been turned off long ago, and only the moonlight allowed him to see in the darkness.

He felt like he was dreaming now; everything felt so surreal in comparison to how the rest of the day had gone. Sometimes, if he glazed his eyes over enough, he could see the vague impressions of objects swimming around in the air. They were all shapeless, formless and indistinguishable, but Kisho felt that that was how they were supposed to be.

And like a dream, it didn't make much of a difference if he closed his eyes or not. He felt numb all over, almost as if he were in the form of a spirit instead of a body. These weird sensations were of no surprise to him, however. Nothing seemed like a surprise after the news about Orochimaru-sama…

Being sent to the academy had been like an adventure. Graduating from it had been an accomplishment. Being picked to be on Orochimaru-sama's team had been an honor. Being nominated for the Chuunin Exams had been a surprise. Finding out that his sensei had betrayed the Leaf had been a shock. The only other shock as devastating as this had been many, many years ago.

He remembered when his father had died and the funeral shortly after. He had cried for days, wallowing in self-pity until his aunt had scolded him for it. He was not the only person suffering, she had said. Everyone who had known him had been affected, herself included. The one in the most pain had been his mother, Oba-chan said. He had still cried afterwards, but not with the same intensity as before.

No such tears fell now.

He was never coming back… Neither of them were ever coming back…

* * *

Something was in his line of sight, he dully realized. It was blocking the moonlight from his face and was standing right in front of him. He was about to ignore it and go back into his trance-like depression state when that something touched his shoulder and gently shook it. The sudden contact made Kisho become more alert as he focused his attention to the figure.

"Anko…?" he said, blinking away all traces of zoning out. "What are you doing out here alone?"

_Not that it mattered. Sensei was never coming back._

"I came to see how you were doing, Kisho-kun," she said gently. "I snuck in after everyone else went to sleep. Besides, I'm not alone right now."

"What do you mean?"

Here, Anko fidgeted nervously, as if worried about something. She bit her lower lip and pressed two of her fingers together.

"C'mon. I need to show you something."

* * *

They were well outside of the Uchiha grounds now. Anko had led them to the nearest uninhabited area the first thing after leaving the Clan's gated community. Kisho had no idea what was going on, but trusted his teammate on the matter.

They stopped near one of their frequented training areas where Anko proceeded to do a few hand seals. She quietly summoned a snake and sent it into the bushes, then sat down to wait, signaling Kisho to do the same.

"What's going on?"

"Just wait; you'll see."

A sudden rustling alerted the two of another presence, and Kisho immediately went on the alert. When the third person made its way into the clearing, Kisho's eyes widened.

"Sensei," he breathed.

_He's…_

"You're…back," he said, disbelievingly. He wondered if this was all a dream as well, just like the near-invisible apparitions from before.

"Come, Kisho," the Sannin gestured. "Come join me."

Kisho got up unsteadily on his feet and followed his supposed teacher towards the forests, apprehensive about what might happen to him. For an instant, he hesitated, questioning his sensei's motives.

But… Orochimaru-sama had been one of the only ones who didn't seem to mind that his mother wasn't a true Uchiha… Sensei was the only one who seemed to care about his training…

Kisho paused before the row of trees, debating what to do.

On the one hand, he loved his teacher and Anko very much and would go through any lengths to serve and protect them. On the other, Orochimaru-sama was leaving his home, the place he had been raised in.

His thoughts ran amuck, confusing his brain. A sudden thought hit him and his hesitation faded away, replaced by something that could only be called resolve and a sense of purpose.

If Sensei was betraying the Leaf for a good reason… then he would too.

With that decision made, Kisho took another step and disappeared into the foliage, leaving Konohagakure no Sato behind him.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Ika's Notes:

Uh, if I haven't said that this is slightly AU, then I say so now. Mixing up of timelines, changing a few canon events, making up things – all that, and more.

And this chapter (if you haven't noticed) takes place a few years after the previous one. Also, Uchiha Kisho and Uchiha Ryuushi are original characters. Fanart of Ryuushi is located on my profile. I'm trying to work on Kisho's (as well as a few others) right now. No guarantees, though.

Review responses will be located in the forums.

Bee's Notes:

This chapter was one of the original ideas for this fanfic. I'm happy to see that it's finally posted. (This was supposed to be the first chapter, but Ika-chan's plot bunnies said otherwise). I hope this would make the fiction more realistic since it started featuring more prominent characters from the canon.

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_A Writer Wannabee_

_August 22, 2007_


End file.
